Raven took a deep breath, it was late enough that everyone would be asleep so she simply went for the front door and avoided the cameras; not that avoiding Robin's strategic placement and Cyborg's smart cameras was an easy task in the slightest.

She nearly started sobbing when she entered the commons and everyone was watching a movie. She wanted to cry and sob and curl up in a ball and let her friends love her. But she didn't, she stuck against the wall and made her way up to her room.

Raven got in the shower immediately and then slipped on a leotard and a cape. She hoped lighting a few candles would help her concentrate, that she would be able to heal the large gash down her leg or the large bruise forming against the entire left side of her face, not the mention the bruise of a hand against her neck and jaw. She sat there for an hour and nothing happened.

She stood up carefully, minding the thick aching in her body, an ache she hadn't felt in a really long time, it had been so long since she'd felt this kind of pain; she'd forgotten what it was like to wallow in pain, her emotions racing and her heart pounding against her bruised ribs and sternum.

She pulled her hood up carefully to hide her face and then walked to the infirmary, the large gash and various cuts spanning from her lower back down to her calf pained with each movement and she began to limp in the slightest bit, just to avoid stretching and crushing her already injured skin.

Once she was there she stripped off her cloak and pulled out what she would need… antibacterial, bandages and something to speed the healing process. She'd never even had to look at these items before and it caught her off guard how little she knew of tending to injuries.

Raven pulled her leotard half way off the reach all the wounds; she was nearly done when she heard someone coming. She pulled her leotard back on quickly and just barely replaced her cape when Cyborg walked in.

"Rae!" he smiled happily and grinned at her, and then she watched his expression change, "What are you doing in here anyway?" as he spoke the words his face turned to a deeper level of suspicion, "Rae are you ok?"

Raven nodded quickly and abruptly, working to keep her voice calm and monotone, trying to be herself even though it felt as if she'd forgotten how anymore, "I'm fine." But she wasn't fine, she felt mixed up and confused, she felt nothing like herself and it was if all her little sub-personalities were trying to break out of her head and ruin her completely.

He shook his head and started walking closer, her mind clicked into gear and she remember she hadn't raised her hood to cover her face, she had to clumsily and quickly pull her hood up before he could see the mess that was now her face. But her hasty actions only made him more curious, "Rae, are you sure you're ok?"

Raven nodded quickly, "Of course I'm fine..." she paused for a small moment to collect her whits and even out her tone, "Why are you acting so odd?"

He looked down and got closer, "Raven, if you ever want to talk-"

But she cut him off, "Cyborg, I just want to go back to my room and go to sleep," but she still needed to come up with a reason to be in the infirmary in the first place and without time to think her explanation just slipped out, "I just came in here to get a Band-Aid."

He frowned, "Why do you need one?"

She stiffened, "Because I just do, ok?" her anger flared, "Why do I have to explain myself to you? I'm not a child and I'm not helpless, is there a reason I can't have one?" she knew now she was just being irrational and she didn't care; it felt good to be angry an express it even if it was at the wrong person about the wrong subject.

She tried to rush past him but he placed a gentle hand around her upper arm to pull her back, "Raven…"

She stiffened immediately and wished she could melt into the ground and disappear like usual, "Don't touch me, Cyborg."

He dropped her arm and she improvised her escape and ran out before he could say anything else.

Cyborg contemplated her for a moment... not that she never acted odd, but this was downright out of the ordinary.

Robin sat there on the couch in the commons while Beast Boy commented on the comedy they were watching. Starfire appreciated Beast Boy's comments and didn't hesitate to let him know which only encouraged him not to shut up.

Cyborg came in looking stressed and sat down. Cyborg was stressed, he was stressed about Raven being stressed and stressed about not knowing why Raven was stressed.

"What's up, Cyborg?" Robin asked, trying to drown out Beast Boy and Star.

He shook his head, "Rae is acting weird, I just ran into her…" he had a moment of wondering whether he should share Raven's business or not, "...in the infirmary."

Robin frowned, "Why?"

Cyborg shrugged, "I have no idea, but she was in a bad mood for sure." And stressed, he added mentally.

"I'm not in a bad mood." Raven growled from behind them, taking a gingerly seat as far away from the others as possible, "I'm just tired and can't sleep." She also couldn't stand to lie alone in her bed, couldn't stand to feel so alone and helpless, and without her powers she felt even angrier with herself.

"Raven." Robin was a little shocked to see her, "Why… can't you sleep?"

Raven raised an eyebrow, "If I'd known this would be the Spanish Inquisition then I would have stayed in my room."

Starfire turned and floated over to her and wrapped her arms around Raven, "Friend, you look the upset, do not be the upset."

Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Robin all looked on in shock as Raven returned the hug carefully, quickly, and then pushed Star away.

"I'm fine, Star."

Starfire nodded, "Well if you ever find yourself in need of talk then my door can be opened."

Robin shook his head and couldn't help but correct her, "It's, my door is always open, Star."

Starfire nodded and grinned to herself, then she turned and looked to Raven, "I mean what I have said."

Raven nodded but gave no other acknowledgment.

They all returned to the movie and Beast Boy picked up in poorly artistic commentaries with Starfire's help.

Raven sat there, watching her friends, thankful that they were with her… whether or not she wanted to talk wasn't the point, she was simply glad they were existed.

Everyone went to their beds later but Raven found herself unable to sleep and unable to concentrate again. Unable to figure out why her sheer rage wasn't even doing anything.

Almost the moment she finally got her eyes to close the alarm started blaring with a vengeance in her ear.

It only took her a moment to realize her powers still hadn't returned and it only took a moment for her heart to stop in her chest. Without powers how was she supposed to help the team do anything?

She slumped quickly out of bed and met up with the team.

"Cinderblock in making a mess downtown. Titans, Go!" Robin ordered and Raven didn't have time to confess her weakness or how little help she would be.

Cyborg gave her an odd look when she rode with him instead of flying with Starfire and Beast Boy but considering her simmering agitation he decided not to say anything.

Raven thought he would just leave her alone but right as they arrived he turned off his car and reached over to her, "Rae, are you sure your head is in the game? I don't want you getting hurt because I let you walk out into the field without your head."

Raven shook her head, "I'm fine."

"Raven, you keep saying that, but I don't believe you… we could easily take him down without you so why don't you sit this one out?" he offered quickly, watching the anger flicker across her face.

"Cyborg, I am fine." I'm fine, there is nothing wrong with me, and I will pull out of this slump and snap back into working condition. She just kept telling herself that this fight would bring her powers back… that her stupid scare would wear off and she would be back to her old self.

She suppressed a groan when she got out, her soreness hadn't lessened and she felt utterly stupid trying to keep her cape closed and her hood up all the time… not that that was unusual for her but they would start to notice if she didn't manage to heal fast.

"Raven, heads up!" Beast boy called as a block of cement hurled towards her.

Cyborg reached out and snatched her up roughly, pulling her into a protective embrace. She groaned loudly as he pressed against her injuries and then quieted herself into a simpering whimper.

He released her carefully, supporting her with uncertainty in his actions. Cyborg couldn't help his glare, she wasn't herself… he hadn't seen her do one thing, hadn't seen her fly or even try… she hadn't tried to block the rock and she hadn't even tried to get out of the way.

"Rae…" he growled angrily at her and she flinched, "Go home if you're not even going to try at all." He saw her flinch and look away so he quickly apologized, "Sorry."

Raven nodded and stumbled away from him.

Cyborg couldn't pay any more attention to her; he headed over to where Beast Boy, Starfire, and Robin were trying to take Cinderblock down.

Raven cowered away; fully aware she had no way to shield herself anymore.

Two blocks away Plasmas was making his way over to the Teen Titans with a vengeance. This time his reincarnation had brought a few new tricks.

Cinderblock thrashed at Starfire and she flew back, Beast Boy tried to distract while Cyborg and Robin worked at his weaknesses.

Raven watched in terror as Starfire lay still a few hundred feet away. Raven ran to her and helped her up.

"Friend Rave, why do you not help us?" she seemed angry but also curious all the while itching to get back into the fight.

It took Raven a few moments to pull herself together, "I can't summon my powers."

Starfire looked surprised and then worried, "Then I must stay and protect you."

Raven shook her head, "No, please, go help the others…"

Starfire looked over to where Cinderblock fought her friends and she nodded and left.

Raven sat and watched till she heard something behind her… turning around her eyes settled on Plasmas as he thrashed out at her and she went flying a short distance and landed on her back.

Her gasp was pained and she watched in horror as he kept coming. Once he was close enough he reached out and grabbed her arm. And intense burn spread through her entire body so fast she couldn't even scream.

She fought angrily and he wrapped an appendage around her other arm.

This time the pain was so great she screamed as loud as she could and pulled away.

Plasmas didn't just spit acid now, but just touching him burned. She felt thin pinpricks against where he was burning her like he was injecting the acid into her skin, pumping it into her bloodstream as she felt the burn everywhere.

It was so great that she passed out as he tried to cover her, pull her in.

Robin heard her scream and turned, watching Plasmas attack her as she did nothing.

"Beast Boy, go help Raven!" he ordered angrily and finally landed a devastating blow to Cinderblock.

Beast Boy nodded and moved quickly to her, watched her writhe in pain even in unconsciousness.

He changed into a rhinoceros and charged into plasmas head on, his thick skin didn't allow the acid to enter him but he watched Raven go flying with him onto the ground.

Once Cinderblock was defeated the rest of the team came running.

Cyborg read Raven's vitals quickly, "Don't touch him, he'll burn you… we need to get Raven out fast, her heart is failing!"

Starfire didn't listen and went right in after Raven. Robin followed and tried to grab her as Beast Boy attacked the fallen Plasmas. But as soon as he touched the plasma substance his hand jerked back in pain and he felt the burning seep into his skin.

Starfire on the other hand was not burned, her alien skin not susceptible. She pulled Raven out with all her strength and rubbed off as much residue as possible while Robin took a new approach to attacking and Cyborg helped even though his cannon did nothing to Plasmas's regeneration abilities.

Finally they got Beast Boy in a position to explode Plasmas from the inside out and he was done for… Plasmas's weak, human counterpart was out cold.

Starfire had gotten all of the acid off but still watched as it burned Raven even in her knocked out state.

Cyborg pulled her quickly into his arms, "We need to get her back fast."

Starfire felt her eyes sting with tears, "Why is it that Raven is so injured?" then she looked away, "I should have stayed with her to protect her."

Robin patted Starfire's back carefully, "Raven can usually handle herself."

And then Starfire burst out into angry tears, "No, Robin, she did the telling of how she could not fight and I listened to her lies when she said she would be fine!"

"We'll talk about it later, but right now we need to get her back and analyze what Plasmas did to her." Cyborg moved quickly.

Once they were back he started running tests as well as inspecting the injuries she didn't seem to have gotten from Plasmas.

Starfire helped too because everyone knew how angry she would be if she'd found out they'd taken away her clothing. Everyone was alarmed when she didn't meditate once everything was treated. Raven just lay on the metal slab plugged into all sorts of machines.

"What happened to her?" Beast Boy asked as they all sat around, starring and worrying at her unmoving and barely breathing form.

Cyborg cleared his throat, "Plasmas adapted… his acid spit only did minimal damage before, but with his new talents his entire body can burn you… and when he got a hold of her he more or less injected the DNA makeup of his spit straight into the bloodstream, muscles and tissue."

"But she'll recover." Robin murmured carefully, treating his own burned hand, he didn't sound so sure though, his own hand still stung and he'd only touched it for a half a second.

Starfire spoke before Cyborg could answer, "What of the other bruises…" she reached out to touch the side of Raven's face, "What has caused this bruise." And then Starfire reached out tentatively to wrap her hand loosely around Raven's neck. "Plasmas does not have hands, how is it that he made a hand print against her jugular?"

Cyborg shook his head, "I don't know, Star."

Starfire sat back and looked to Robin, "Was there someone in the house?"

Robin shook his head, "No… the alarms would have sounded. She was fine when she left the Pizza joint and teleported straight home and back into her room. She spent all night in there till she decided to come out and join for the movie."

"Maybe she snuck out and got in a fight with her boyfriend." Beast Boy suggested with a grin.

"BB, how can you joke as a time like this?" Cyborg yelled and stood up.

Beast Boy put his hands up in submission, "It was just a suggestion!"

Robin held his head, "Raven wouldn't even let someone get close enough to do this!"

Author's Note:

As of now I'm not sure how long this will be, since I don't do any storyboarding before writing a chapter I never know when it will end.

Reviews and comments of any kind are much appreciated as I enjoy reading them and getting a feel for people's opinions, feel free to PM or comment with ideas or suggestions.

Have a Lovely Day!

-Kay